“It doesn’t grow here, father.”
Then her face brightened, and she added: “Yes,
it does, though. The day that we outspanned in
this camp mother and I went down to the river and
walked to that kind of island beyond the dry donga
to get some flowers that grow on the wet ground.
I saw lots of Cape gooseberries there, all quite ripe.”
“Then go and get some, dear. You will have
plenty of time before dark.”
She started up as though to obey, then checked herself
and said:
“Mother told me that I was not to go to the
river alone, because we saw the spoor of lions and
crocodiles in the mud.”
“God will guard you from the lions and the crocodiles,
if there are any,” he answered doggedly, for
was not this an opportunity to show his faith?
“You are not afraid, are you?”
“No, father. I am afraid of nothing, perhaps
because I don’t care what happens. I will
get the basket and go at once.”
In another minute she was walking quickly towards
the river, a lonely little figure in that great place.
Mr. Dove watched her uneasily till she was hidden
in the haze, for his reason told him that this was
a foolish journey.
“The Lord will send His angels to protect her,”
he muttered to himself. “Oh! if only I
could have more faith, all these troubles come upon
me from a lack of faith, and through that I am continually
tempted. I think I will run after her and go,
too. No, there is Janey calling me, I cannot leave
her alone. The Lord will protect her, but I need
not mention to Janey that she has gone, unless she
asks me outright. She will be quite safe, the
storm will not break to-night.”
THE BOY
The river towards which Rachel headed, one of the
mouths of the Umtavuna, was much further off than
it looked; it was, indeed, not less than a mile and
a half away. She had said that she feared nothing,
and it was true, for extraordinary courage was one
of this child’s characteristics. She could
scarcely ever remember having felt afraid—for
herself, except sometimes of her father when he grew
angry—or was it mad that he grew?—and
raged at her, threatening her with punishment in another
world in reward for her childish sins. Even then
the sensation did not last long, because she could
not believe in that punishment which he so vividly
imagined. So it came about that now she had no
fear when there was so much cause.
For this place was lonely; not a living creature could
be seen. Moreover, a dreadful hush brooded on
the face of earth, and in the sky above; only far
away over the mountains the lightning flickered incessantly,
as though a monster in the skies were licking their
precipices and pinnacles with a thousand tongues of
fire. Nothing stirred, not even an insect; every
creature that drew breath had hidden itself away until
the coming terror was overpast.
